raise the dead

Sunday night was a curious moment for me. A group of friends congregated in a home to celebrate the birthday of wonderful young woman. At the same time we discovered that Osama Bin Laden, long time enemy of the United States of America had been killed. My gut reaction, like I assume was the case for many of you, was to cheer. Here was a man who once led a terrorist attack on the United States that claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 of our friends and family. Listening to President Obama deliver an address in which we were told, “his [Bin Laden] demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity” failed to sit well with me. I fought this feeling for fear that I would sound insensitive and disloyal to America and those who lost their lives, not only from the attacks on the World Trade Center, but in the many battles we have faced since then. Still, I wondered what Jesus might have to say about this historical moment because, after all, it is to his Kingdom where my allegiance truly rests.

A good starting point is the Sermon on the Mount, the largest collection of teachings by Jesus. In Matthew 5.9 he says, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God.” This sounds like a good principle to live by, yet if this is all that we learn from Jesus it sounds more like a fanciful ideal, but hardly a practical reality. However, later in chapter 5, beginning in verse 43, Jesus takes this principle further. “You have heard it said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.” Similarly, in Luke we find Jesus instructing to “do good to those who hate you” (6.27b) so that “you will be called children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked” (6.35b). He closes in verse 36 saying, “Be merciful as your Father is merciful.” The evidence from Jesus’ teaching is overwhelmingly negative towards violence.

Reading the tweets and Facebook statuses in response to this event, I noticed one common phrase used over and over again. “Justice has been served.” Is that really so? Should we really support violence so that “justice may be served?” Is that the Biblical model? New Testament scholar, Dr. Richard Hays believes otherwise. He argues in his book, The Moral Vision of the New Testament, that, “Nowhere does the New Testament provide any positive model of Jesus or his followers employing violence in defense of justice.” Many use Jesus’ protest within the Temple to advocate for the use of violence if necessary, but no one is either hurt or killed in this scene. Rather, Hays argues, “the incident is a forceful demonstration against a prevailing system in which violence and injustice prevail… It is difficult to see how such a story can serve as a warrant for Christians to wage war and kill.”

Last night felt like a celebration. Partly this is true and right, but only in the sense that an organization that is responsible for countless suffering throughout God’s good world has been dealt a serious blow. Where I think we have erred is our celebration of the death of a man made in God’s image, regardless of how he chose to respond to his Creator and Creation. Ezekiel 18.23 shows us God’s perspective on the death of one of God’s Creation. “Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? Declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?” Instead of celebrating the death of Osama Bin Laden, who was in many ways a wicked man (but who can claim to be righteous? Scripture says not even one), I believe we ought to be mourning for those who died at this man’s plans and furthermore that he himself died without turning from his ways to truly live.

This is no easy task. It is not easy to remember all of the destruction that Bin Laden has caused in this world and have compassion, but Jesus calls us to “Be merciful as your Father is merciful.” I am grateful that this chapter is coming to an end (though the larger fight against terrorism will probably never be won until Jesus comes to reconcile all things). I am glad that Al Qaeda, a terrorist organization responsible for the deaths of so many people in this world, has been shaken. I love my fellow Americans and pray for those who have been affected in some way by the terrorist attacks in 2001 and the subsequent wars we have found ourselves in as a result, for better or worse.

Reflecting on the juxtaposition of my friends’ celebration of a beautiful young woman’s life and the widespread celebration of the death of a wicked man I believe we can only look to God for guidance on how to navigate our reactions to Osama Bin Laden’s death. We can and should celebrate victories over injustice, but we cannot and should not, as the wisdom of Proverbs 24.17 teaches us, “gloat when your enemies fall.” Jesus’ radical love for his enemies led him to an ugly death on a cross. But as we know, death did not and does not have the last word. Resurrection and life speak and remind us that God’s love has and always will have the final word.  

Tried something new with our students this week. It’s Thanksgiving week and as per usual we are talking about thankfulness in our church services. La Canada Presbyterian Church (where I work) is a wealthy church in a wealthy area. The students are great and have beautiful hearts, but I think it is so easy to take for granted the things we’ve been blessed with. A cold shower, a warm meal, a bed to fall asleep on, a roof over our heads. It isn’t often that we give a thought to these necessities we have let alone the countless luxuries we’ve acquired. So during worship this past Sunday I challenged our students to be reminded of what they are thankful for and as a visual representation to write on a large white board those things for which they are grateful. 

Nervous that this might flop completely, these students showed up in a way that was so beautiful to me, and I think something incredible happened in that moment. These students showed a maturity and faith that is vital the church. Their hearts were open and vulnerable writing down all the things that deserves thanks. And the list hit the core of our humanity: love, family, friends, music, grace, forgiveness. 

What I found interesting as I’ve reflected on this experience was the frequency of the nonmaterial things that showed up on this list. Things that couldn’t be bought in a store. People aren’t most thankful for their iPod or their xBox. They’re grateful for the people who love them and feelings of restoration, redemption, grace, and forgiveness. Redemption doesn’t come from Urban Outfitters. Grace can’t be bought on iTunes. These gifts, which we ought to be most thankful for, come from people who reflect the image of their Creator. A God who gives freely these gifts and blessings. 

I am inspired by what these students brought with them this past Sunday. Thankfulness does something to us. It changes the way we see the world. It changes the way we interact with our friends, family, and our neighbors. It instills in us a peace that can never be found in the stuff we accumulate in this life. So, more than a stomach this Thanksgiving, I pray that we may have hearts that are full.